Holdback.



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APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30. 1905.

PATENTEDOGT. 23, 1906.

I OQL/cg PATENT, onr ron. Y

JOHN O. L1CE Y, OF RIVER STYX, OHIO.

H'OLDBACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 23, 1906.

Application filed October 30, 1905. Serial Nc. 285,1 i3.

To all whom it concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN O. LIoEY, a citi- .Zen of the United States, residing at River Styx, in the county of Medina and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holdbacks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as-will enable others/skilled in the art to which'it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in holdbacks or breechings, and more particu- .larly to a device of this character which is adjustably mounted upon the shafts or-thills of a carriage, wagon, or vehicle of any description.

The object of the invention is to provide a holdback of this characterwhich will be simple, strong, durable, and inexpensive in construction and convenient, safe, and efficient in operation.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a pair of shafts or thills with my improved metallic holdback or breeching mounted thereon. Fig.2 is aside elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view, and Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal sectional view.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes my improved safety holdback or breeching, which may be mounted upon a pair of thills T of any desired form and construction and adapted for use upon vehicles .of any description. My improved holdback comprises a strip or band 2 of metal or any other suitable material which is bent into semicircular form and has its'ends 3 formedwith longitudinal series of openings or apertures 4. The bent or curved portion of the band which is-adapted to engage the hindquarters of the horse or other animal between the thills is covered with leather or other suitable material 5, and, if desired, a padding material 6 may be placed between the metal band and the leather covering. If desired, the metallic holdback maybe constructed and used without the use of a cover of any kind; but when the leather cover and cushion is omitted I preferably japan or polish the curved portion of the holdback.

The holdback or breeching 2 may be adjustably mounted upon the thills in any desired manner; but I preferably provide upon the top of each of the latter supports or bearings 7, to which the ends 3 of the holdback are adjustably pivoted by means of boltsor similar fastenings 9, which pass through any of the apertures 4 in said ends 3. The bearings 7 are here shown in the form of rectangular casings having open ends, through which the ends 3 of the holdback project and in which they may have a limited vertical swinging movement. The bolts9 pass through alining openings 10, disposed centrally in the casings or bearings 7, and through any one of the openings 4 in the ends 3 of the holdback, accordingto the longitudinal adjustment of the latter. The holdback may be adjusted vertically in the casings or bearings 7 by providing in the latter a series of alining openings 11, through any two of which may be passed a bolt, pin, or other similar device 12, which serves as a stop to limit the downward swinging'movement of the holdback. The openings 11 are arranged so that each one is slightly lower than the next above, so that by placing the bolts or pins 12 in the proper openings the holdback 2 may be supported in any angular or tilted position. v

The casings or bearings 7 may be secured to the thills .T in any suitable manner; but I preferably secure ,them by brackets 13', which are. formed or secured upon the casings or bearings 7 and which have front and rear angularly-disposed legs 14 15. These legs mav be secured to the thills T by bolts 16 or by clips or in any other suitable manner. The front legs 14 are of less length than the rear legs 15, so that the casings or bearings 7 are disposed at a slight upward and rearward inclination. This disposition causes the holdback 2 to also assume a slight upward and rearward inclination when its ends are disposed parallel with the length of the casings, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

If desired, I may provide upon theholdback loops 17 to support the usual leather tugs or traces of the harness. These loops are here shown in the form of straps provided on their outer sides with buckles 18.

The construction, use, and advantages of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. It will be seen that by removing the bolts 9 and sliding the ends 3 longitudinally in. the casings or IIO bearings 7 and then replacing the bolts in the proper openings 4 the holdback may be adjusted longitudinally to adapt it to the horse to be used between the thills and that by ad- 1 justing the bolts or pins 12 in the proper apertures 11 the holdback may be supported at any desired inclination. By constructing the holdback in this manner and mounting it upon the thills it will be seen that itwill hold the load squarely upon the back muscles of the animal and prevent the hind legs, being contracted or drawn together, as is the case when a flexible leather breeching is employed. The invention also renders the hitching and unhitching of the animal to and from the shafts or thills much more simple and convenient than formerly, where the old-style holdback is employed, no adjustment of the parts being necessary after the initial adjustment. .It is exceedingly strong and durable, so that it will prevent the animal from kicking over the shafts or thills. By mounting it upon the shafts or thills a number of the parts of the harness may be dispensed with,

so that its use will reduce the cost of a harness outfit. It is also easy upon the animal, since it is only in contact with the animal in descending a grade or when stopping the vehicle.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the precise showing herein set forth, since Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of shafts or thills, bearings thereon and each having a longitudinal opening extending from end to end thereof, a holdback-band of semicircular form and having parallel arms in the said openings of the bearings, and bolts extending through said arms and bearings and securing said band to said bearings, the latter and the arms of the band having adjusting-openings for the reception of said bolts, to enable the band to be longitudinally and vertically adjusted.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN O. LICEY. Witnesses:

DAVID E. LEATHERMAN, ORRIN P. SI-IAFFER. 

